Curing house for sweet potatoes



E. J. nasmn b. L. HASTINGS. CURING HOUSE FOR SWEET POTATOES.

mama July 19, 1921.

APPLICATION FILED "AR. 8- l-92l.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- E. J. ILES AND O. L. HASTINGS. CURING HOUSE FOR SWEET POTATOES.

Beiss ued July 19, 1921.

APPLICATION FILED "AR. 8. I921.

5.1. ILES AND 0.1. HASTINGS.

CURING HOUSE FOR SWEET POTATOES.

s 1 H F.- H s 3 m w aw n A u D u N 0 H A w H DI A Bsissued July 19,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

ELIJAH JASPER IfLES ND 0131a LEE HASTINGS, or ALEXANDRIA; LOUISIANA,

AssIGNons'To, ALEXANDRIA roTAro CURING coMrANY, me, or ALExAN-' DRIA, LOUISIANA, A CO PORATIO OFLQUISIANA.

= CURING-House FOB. SWEET roT ToES.

15,156- Specification of Reissued' Letters Patent. "Reissued July 19, 1921.

Original No. 1,353,752, dated September 21, 1920, Serial No; 337,559, filed June 9, 1920. Application for I reissue filed March 8, 1921. Serial No. 450,604.

To all whom it mag concern: V the sides of the heater and in this embodi- Be it known that We, ELIJAI-I JASPER ILEs ment, the drum. is of upright cylindrical and ODIE Len H STINGS, citizens of the form having its lower end resting on the United'States of America, and residents of base of the pit and its upper end opening in Alexandria, in the parish of Rapides and a plane beneath a charging floor having a State of Louisiana, have invented certain central solid section 21, a reticulated section new and useful Improvements in Curing- 22 on supporting beams 23. Houses for Sweet Potatoes, of which'the fol- The lower portion of the heatin drum lowing is a; specification. 20 has diametrically opposed openings 24 The present invention-relatesto the storwith which the inner ends of the air flues ing and curing of vegetables Such as sweet 25communicate, these air flues having their potatoes or other roducts and has for its outer ends opening exteriorl through the object the provision of novel means for lower portions of opposite sidewalls 15 and maintaining uniform heat of a p'redeterhaving controlling dampers 26 in their mined degree and for effecting its circulation length, preferably located within the heataroundor through the product for the puring' pit. at opposite sides of the drum 20 and pose of quite uniformly treating all of the thus within ready reach for purposes of product contained within the apparatus or adjustment. The outlet fiue 27 of the heater house; novel means being also provided for 19 preferably leads at right angles to the effecting an indirect communication between air flues- 25 as particularly seen in Figs. the interior ofthe curing house and the at- 2 and 4,- to thelower end of a chimney 28 mosphere externallythereof. p with which one ofthe'side walls 15 is pro- In the accompanying. drawings illustratvided; i ing the present invention and forming a part A hollow member 29 such as a cylinder or of this-application, I drum, preferably insulated, is located in the Figure 1 illustrates a sideelevationof our .curing chamber and it has its lower end mproved curlng house;

ig. 2 illustrates a vertical transverse section takencentrally therethrough; and

FlgS. 3 and 4 illustrate. horizontal Sections taken respectively on lines 3-3 and 4-4 of he illustration-is intended to disclose one closed, in the present'em'bo'diment, by rea-, son of the fact that it rests on the central .solid section 21 .of the charging floor 22, and the" said hollow member 1s so disposed Withinthecuring chamber as to receive the lower end: of the'outlet flue 13. The hollow member, which may be. termed a circulating embodiment of the invention and includes 'cylinder,' preferably has its open end tera curing house orclosure preferably prominating' inspaced relation to the ceiling vided with a centrally apertured peaked 11 into which the circulating air, rising in roof 10 overacentrally apertured and inthe curing chamber 14 passes, the said sulated ceiling 11 with adead air space" 12 heated air being forced to descend into the between the ceiling, and roof through which open .end ofthe circulating cylinder before an outlet flue 13 extends. The said flue reaching the lower end ofthe outletflue 13, projects through theopeningS of the roof the latter of :which terminates in Spaced rela- 10- and ceilin --11 above the roof, whereas tion to the closure'of the lower end of the its lower end depends into a curing chamber hollow member. By reason of the foregoing 14 inclosedby walls 15 which maybe formed relation of parts, provision is made for causof hollowvtile for insulating purposes, and King the circulation of heated air'throughout one ,0 5th,? alls may have a charging door the curingchamber evenl v through the prod- .pit in which a-heater 19,. of any suitable 1 16a, 5 ,he,,'vg, llls=1 5, are suitably upported, as ucts', 'whicli are preferab y crated or placed in the present showin ,by a foundation in in containerswhich may be piled upon one 5 eluding cement wall; ootings- 17v which "are another and supported in the curing chamaced elatiojnito walls 1845f ahe un vher. L m SP r g .In ')rder toregulate the draft assistingto character stationed.-, A drum 20 embraces produce this c rculation, we preferably promaintain the cowl in vertically adjusted position and, maintain ofthe'flueld.

Theheating pit is entered through a passageway 3'8 seenparti'cularly in Fig. 4:, the walls 39 ofwliich join certain of the wall desired effective length footings 17 with "the walls 18 or the heating pit, and'the outerend'of this passage way is closed by a door 450. I

In charging the curing house, the charging doors 16 are-removed and the commodity to be cur'e'zd,-' ireferably in crates as above stated, is carried into the curing chamber directly from wagons, trucks and the like by which the commodity has been transportedfroin the field, and after bein charged, the door 16 is again placed in cfiised position and afteradjustrnent of the extension tube 'ofthe circulationoutlet line 13, the heater'lil is started and the airy flue dampers 26 adjusted. Air talreninto these air flues 25 passes "into the drum 20 and becomes 'heated'by the closeproximity to the heater,

the heated air rising upwardly through the charging floor 22 around its central solid section 21' and thus around the cylinder 29. Further passage of'th'e air has been previously described, and it is obvious that our invention as thus constructed and adapted to operate is capable of erectionand efli'ectivejoperation'in different localities, that is where the weather conditions are" different,

and is" calculated at all times to maintain a thorough circulation of heated air throughout the curing chambe nf This is particularly important in connection with the curing of sweet potatoes which require a steady thorough circulation for successful curing at a moderate heat.

We claim: U i

1. A curing house having insulating walls, a heating pit, a' reticulate charging floor having a central solid section above the heating pit,.'a cylinder rising from and having its lower end closed by the said central section, the upper end of the c linder being open, a roof, and an outlet ue extending downwardly through the roof with its 60- fthe said cylinder in' spaced relation.

lower portion projecting downwardly into 2". A curing house having insulating walls, a heating pit, a reticulatecharging floor having a central solid "section above the heating pint cylinder rising from 'and having its lower end" closed by the said central section, the upper end of the cylinder being open, a roof, and an outlet flue extending downwardly through the roof with its lower portion projecting downwardly into the said cylinder in spaced relation, and a vertically adjustable tube telescoping the upper outer end of said flue and movable for draft adjustin purposes.

3. A curing ouse having insulating walls, a heating pit, a reticulate charging floor having a central solid section above the heating pit, a cylinder risin from and having its lower end closed by t c said central section, the upfper end ofthe cylinder being open, a mo and an outlet flue extending downwardly through the roof with its lower portion projecting downwardly into the said cylinder in spaced relation, a tube telescop ing the upper'outer end of said flue to form an adjustabledraft extension, and means for ad 'usting said tube and holding the same in ad usted position. a

4. A curing househaving insulating walls, a heating pit, areticulate charging floor having a central solid section above the heating pit, a cylinder rising from and having its lower end closed by the said central section, the upper end of the cylinder being open, a roof, and an outlet flue extending donuinardly through the roof with its lower portion projecting downwardly into the said cylinder in spaced relation, a tube telescoping the upper outerend of said flue to form an adjustable draft extension, and means for adjusting said tube and holding" the same in adjusted position, including flexible connections and a controlling counterweight for said connections as described.

5. A curing house including means forming a curing chamber having a reticulate charging floor, a vertical cylinder in the curing chamber having a closed lower end and an open upper end, an outlet airflue having a lower open end depending into said cylinder, a heating pit below the charging floor, a heater in said pit, a drum around the heater having an upper open end below the charging floor, an outlet flue for the heater, and air intake flues communicating with the lower portion of the drum and having controlling dampers as described.

6. In a device of the character described, means forming a curing chamber havin a reticulate charging floor provided wit a central solid section, a cylinder rising within the curing chamber and opening at its upper end adjacent to the top of the chamber, the lower ends of said cylihderibeing disposedon and closed by thecbntral solid section of the charging fioorflan ontlet fine the lowerend of which depends into the said cylinder in spaced relation thereto and terminates above the charging floor, and air heating means located below the charging floor for circulating heated air upwardly through the reticulate portion of the chargin floor and into the curing chamber.

A curing house having a curing chamber, means for supporting products in the said chamber, a hollow member in the curing chamber having a closed lower end and an opening for the admission of air, an outlet air flue extending into the hollow member and communicating with the atmosphere outside of the curing chamber, and means in communication with the curing chamber for supplying heat thereto.

8. A curing house, a curing chamber having a support for the product to be cured, a hollow member having a closed lower end and an open end in spaced relation to the top of the curing chamber, means for supplying heated air to the curing chamber, and an outlet flue extending into the open end of the hollow member and communicating with the atmosphere externally of the curing chamber.

9. A curing house including means forming a curing chamber having a support through which air may circulate for the product to be cured, a vertical cylinder in the curing chamber having a closed lower end and an open upper end, an outlet air fiue having a lower open end depending into the said cylinder, a heating pit below the support, a heater in the said pit, and a drum around the heater having an upper open end below the support.

10. A curing house including means forming a curing chamber having a reticulate charging floor, a vertical cylinder in the curing chamber having a closed lower end and an open upper end, an outlet air flue having a lower open end depending into the said cylinder, a heating pit below the charging floor, a heater in the said pit, a drum around the heater having an upper open end below the charging floor, and means for admitting air to the lower portion of the drum.

11. A curing house including means form ing a curing chamber having supports for the commodity to be treated, a hollow member having a closed lower end and being open to the atmosphere of the curing chamber above the said lower end, means for supplying heated air below the commodity supports whereby air rises in the curing chamber, and an outlet flue in communication with the hollow member, the said outlet flue communicating with the atmosphere externally of the curing chamber.

ELIJAH JASPER ILES. ODIE LEE HASTINGS. 

